Tooele County staff previews general‑plan amendment, rezone request for south end parcels

Planning staff told the Tooele County Council on Aug. 19 that property owners on the south end of the county, west of State Route 3036 and south of Stockton, have applied for a general‑plan amendment to change land-designation from open space to agricultural and intend to follow that with a rezoning request. The county’s Rochelle Custer said the change would allow some existing nonconforming parcels — several of which were created by meets‑and‑bounds surveys and some dating to 1911 — to become conforming under agricultural 10‑acre zoning. “The applicants have come in and requested a general plan amendment to change it from open space to agricultural to help make their parcels and their uses conforming,” Custer said. Why it matters: parcels currently zoned MU‑40 (multiuse, 40‑acre minimum) cannot be used or expanded unless brought into conformity. Council members and staff said the amendment and rezone would allow owners to continue agricultural uses and to expand in ways the current legal nonconforming status forbids. Planning staff noted some parcels lie in what was once Rush Lake and that owners say they are trying to be “good stewards” and become compliant with current codes. Custer said the plan amendment will be on the council agenda on Sept. 2 and will be followed by a rezone application if the plan change is approved. Council discussion focused on process timing. County Manager Andy Welch and other staff recalled a prior code change that prohibited multiple simultaneous rezoning applications after an applicant had submitted competing rezones for the same parcel. Welch recommended amending the code language so an applicant may pursue a general‑plan amendment and a rezoning at the same time — a change staff said would save an applicant about six weeks. Welch said staff would bring a text amendment back to the council if they decide to proceed. No formal action was taken at the Aug. 19 meeting; staff said the general‑plan amendment will return on Sept. 2 with follow‑up materials. The council asked staff to continue research into parcel histories and to provide any additional background information requested by members before the Sept. 2 public hearing.